BULLIANT Slide Ratchet Adjustable Men’s Belt

Although belts are designed to go around the waist, fit in belt loops and hold pants up, most are used only for decorative reasons. Still, they perform the important function of breaking up an outfit with added design interest and making people look neater and more put together.

Most belts have a buckle and a strap, plus an end tip at the end of the strip and a keeper loop to hold the end of the strap at waist level and prevent it from flapping. Belt makers can cover the tip in metal or another material, preventing fraying and making it easier to put on and buckle.

Belts can be made from 100% leather, leather manufactured with other materials, faux leather, suede, rope, canvas, rope, vinyl or webbing. Full-grain leather is generally the softest and lasts the longest. Men’s belts tend to be wider than women’s, but this is not always the case. Men’s belt waist sizes generally start at 30 inches and go up to 50 inches and higher.

As for buckles, the traditional frame style is the most common and is found on formal and casual belts. The buckle is square or rectangular; the strap goes through the frame and has a prong that goes through holes in the belt.

Plate-style buckles are typically decorated and detachable, with hooks that go through the front of the strap. Ratchet belts have specialized buckles and straps and work by pressing a piece of metal into the strap’s tracking system. No holes are needed, and minute adjustments are possible.

Other belts include snap buckles that work like seat belts, O-rings (usually seen on canvas, webbed and braided belts) and box-out buckles that let you thread the strap through a basic leather or synthetic frame. Many men’s belts are casual or formal, but some can be worn for both occasions.

• Dress belts are generally a bit narrower than casual belts; as a guideline, they can be 1 1/4 inches or 1 3/8 inches wide and 1/8 of an inch thick.
• Shinier finishes on belts make them look more formal.
• Casual belts are usually from 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 inches wide and may be thicker than formal belts, ranging from 1/8 to 3/4 of an inch thick.
• Belts thicker than 3/4 inches are harder to bend and may feel uncomfortable.
• If you tend to have problems with belt sizes, opt for a ratchet style that doesn’t have holes and lets you adjust the length to exactly fit your waist.